Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

Yu Xietian sensed the melancholy in Chi Yue's voice, a sense of "how could the story end so abruptly?" It was like the childhood sweetheart who appeared in the first volume of a novel, innocent and devoted, promising to marry. But the protagonist went on adventures, fighting bandits and slaying dragons, rejecting princesses and saying no to witches. Years passed, the story progressed to its teens, and the successful hero returned to his original village only to find his childhood sweetheart married. He had his life, and she had hers; he didn't know what she had been through. But the result was laid bare before him: a single ponytail, the no-longer-naive childhood sweetheart holding a child's hand, smiling and asking him to say "Hello, Uncle..." It was truly heartbreaking.

As Ye Jiaofang said, not all stories have happy endings. Those who understand this will no longer engage in futile resistance. Some don't understand this, yet they are powerless to resist life. Others understand this, yet they still rise up against the tide, rebelling against what may be their fate.

Chiyue didn't understand this principle, but she was born into a good family, which gave her the courage to go against life.

As she spoke, her gaze slowly hardened, fixed intently on Yu Xietian.

"Yes... I want to see her again! I'm going to find her, Mr. Yu, please give me her contact information!"

Here it comes!

Yu Xietian tensed up again. He hadn't even said two words before things had taken the second worst turn. Contact information... who would have that kind of thing!

If things aren't handled properly... Yu Xietian glanced at Shen Xin out of the corner of his eye. The other person was holding a small blackboard, eager to try, as if Ryuk had possessed him. But when Kami was betrayed, he only lost his life, while when I was betrayed, I lost the courage to live!

What should we do if this situation isn't handled properly...?

Yu Xietian couldn't come up with the perfect answer, but at this moment, he had no time to think and had to speak.

"This is a difficult request. They are on their honeymoon and traveling all over the world. Your appearance... If your purpose is truly pure, then it's fine for you to go. But clearly, Miss Akatsuki, your purpose is not pure. There's no denying that; I can tell from your expression. Therefore, I must refuse."

This is a rather appropriate and reasonable response, allowing for both offense and defense, with sufficient justification. Furthermore, if it really comes to the point where it cannot be taken any further, Yu Xietian can also manipulate the idea of ​​traveling all over the world... After all, currently there are only fixed-line landlines, and mobile phones are so expensive that they can be considered special military equipment. Once a person goes out, it is basically only the other party who can contact you, while you cannot contact them.

But saying this was rather heartless. Yu Xietian would still need to tell Chiyue the truth later, and for now, he was just trying to fool those three people. So he said, "How about this, after some time, when they finish their trip and return to their hometown, if you still want to see them then, I'll arrange a meeting. But if you've already come to terms with it by then, wouldn't it be better to end this here?"

"..." Chi Yue stared intently at Yu Xietian, her gaze sweeping over his green hair. Yu Xietian's heart skipped a beat, and he felt inexplicably nervous. But Chi Yue didn't press the matter further. She nodded and said, "Okay... This is my business card. I hope you can contact me later."

Then, Akatsuki left.

Shenxin showed a look of disappointment. She absolutely did not recommend tricking Yu Xietian again. She believed that telling the truth at this time was the best choice. Not only could it kill Yu Xietian, but it could also put an end to Chiyue's fantasy as soon as possible. Many misunderstandings are caused by this kind of mistake after mistake until they are irreparable.

Unfortunately, Yu Xietian managed to gloss over the matter... Once the three of them left, things became much simpler, and the story basically lost its appeal.

Shenxin was very disappointed, but considering that the Nephalem was going to treat everyone to dinner, she became hopeful again.

Yu Xietian was also unwilling to discuss the matter further. After Chiyue left, he hurriedly changed the subject and said to Nephalem, "Let's go. Weren't you going to treat us to dinner?"

However, Nephalem wasn't in a hurry. He crossed his arms and scanned Yu Xietian up and down. Although he was retired, his years as a special agent had given him extraordinary intuition. Nephalem keenly sensed that this matter was definitely not as simple as Yu Xietian made it out to be, especially given Shenxin's amused expression...

"W-what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden?"

"No, it's nothing." Nephalem smiled and waved his hand, not delving into the matter, but saying meaningfully, "I just suddenly remembered a sentence."

"..?"

Yu Xietian didn't want to know what was going on, but Naifeitian, like Ying Qin Guan, was the kind of person who would continue to act pretentious even without a straight man once he started. He paused, and seeing that no one was responding, he naturally continued speaking.

"Everything you try to escape will eventually come back to you."

Yu Xietian took a step back, overwhelmed by the enigmatic aura emanating from Nephalem. His mind raced with thoughts of being seen through. He wondered if Nephalem had indeed been running away, and if Nephalem meant he had discovered his secret of cross-dressing.

Shen Xin saw it clearly: what Nephalem was saying was pure nonsense, like astrological traits that could be found on any dog. He had obviously seen that Yu Xietian had something to hide, and then said a few irrelevant things... However, Yu Xietian was too caught up in the situation to understand, so he definitely wouldn't understand.

"Stop talking nonsense, I'm starving!"

“Then you may have to wait a while,” Nephalem said. “I still have some guests.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Unknown Calamity

Nephalem's social circle is indeed wider than that of Ying Qin Guan and Jiu Yi. Although it can't compare to Nocturne's, a dozen or so people still showed up. Shen Xin and Yu Xie Tian, ​​knowing that the Yorozuya was barely scraping by, took advantage of Nephalem's wealth. But if nothing unexpected happens, Ying Qin Guan will likely see them at the Royal Court soon... probably.

Yu Xietian had originally planned to call Chiyue immediately after finishing his meal. However, he was so full that he lacked the strength to move and gave up. In the following days, he was busy with numerous trivial tasks and was so preoccupied that he completely forgot about Chiyue. And once something is forgotten, it's difficult to remember it later.

Nothing has happened at the Seven Luminaries' side yet, while the Black Dragon Ruins and Ji Chaoge's place are each taking action.

Cain hasn't yet completed his deception of the mysticism—a deception thousands of years too late, making the mysticism regard someone who died thousands of years ago as "alive." It's fortunate it's Cain; if it were anyone else, even someone as well-versed in the mysticism as the Progenitor or the Ring of Truth, they would likely be completely baffled, utterly clueless as to where to begin. But Cain already has a plan and is steadily progressing.

The military is also considering its next move. There are many capable people in the military, and some have already speculated that Cain is hiding inside the Black Dragon Ruins. He appeared from behind Sakura's door and then vanished without a trace. Shenxin later stated that he was different from the Joker and didn't need her mana, suggesting he was already "free." Therefore, the illusion that he was captured and brought back inside the door has naturally been shattered. The series of anomalies within the Black Dragon Ruins have already led people to suspect him. However, this is just one of many speculations and remains to be verified.

-

Ji Chaoge has already begun the ritual to seize the fate of the Earth Mother Goddess.

Compared to the Red Emperor's ritual of stealing destiny, the Earth Mother Goddess's ritual of stealing destiny is much simpler. The complexity of the ritual of stealing destiny seems to be related to the stupidity of the ability, but there are too few cases to draw such a conclusion.

At least, the Earth Mother Goddess's destiny-plundering ritual didn't contain anything as psychologically manipulative as the defeated lotus.

"At the end of each month, at noon, at any location, offer sacrifices to twelve kinds of fish that have no scales but can survive underwater, twelve kinds of birds that have no feathers but can fly, and three kinds of creatures that have both feathers and scales but whose main habitat is on land. This will open the door and attract the remnant soul of the Earth Mother Goddess."

It's that simple, and you get one chance every month, unlike the Red Emperor who only gets three chances a year.

Such a creature is hard to find, but not too difficult for Ji Chaoge, because he is a top-notch biology expert—even without the Red Emperor's legacy, he would still be the most outstanding alchemist and biology expert.

Yes, he can cultivate these strange-sounding creatures on his own, without expending any effort whatsoever. He doesn't need to consider any other factors—how deformed they are, how strong they are, or whether they'll suddenly die—it doesn't matter.

Two days before July 31st, Ji Chaoge had prepared everything... all that remained was to choose the location for the ceremony.

"I wonder who will try to stop me then, or if I will suddenly wake up, Shen-9."

"Will you come again, Cain..."

Ji Chaoge deleted the part of his memory that allowed him to resurrect himself because a large portion of the progenitors or mythical creatures possessed the ability to read memories. His resurrection was actually quite leisurely; even at the height of the Black Dragon Kingdom's power, he only had five spare bodies, a process that was both extremely expensive and time-consuming. Moreover, at that time, Ji Chaoge was very confident in himself, believing that five were enough for him to conquer the world, and that he might as well use that money to build up an army... Later, with the fall of the Black Dragon Kingdom, the conditions for creating more clones naturally disappeared.

Including his original self, he had a total of six lives.

Of his six lives, he used one by committing suicide when facing the Red Emperor, one when he first encountered the Joker, one was blown up by Doomsday, and now one has been taken down by Cain. He only has two lives left.

If this memory were read by the progenitor or mythical creatures, it would be very troublesome. They could find other clones and destroy them all, leaving Ji Chaoge with only her current life, and death there would be permanent. Therefore, Ji Chaoge selectively modifies a portion of her memories each time she is resurrected.

However, if a person doesn't even know their own hand, they can't gamble everything without regrets. Therefore, Ji Chaoge left a flaw in his memory that could hardly be called a weakness. This kind of flaw would require someone with explosive logical thinking skills like Mu Nandong to come over, know in advance that "something is wrong with this memory," and then look at it repeatedly a dozen times before they could realize it.

Ji Chaoge left this flaw, confident that no one who could see his memories except himself would notice it. This flaw was his hint to those whose memories had been deleted, telling him not to be afraid of death, as he still had a backup plan.

Therefore, he was able to remain calm even when Mount Tai collapsed before him; otherwise, if he had really been killed by Cain there, how unwilling he would have been.

Having witnessed the Earth Mother Goddess, the Red Emperor, and his own three experiences, Ji Chaoge was now fully certain of the existence of the Human Tribulation. However, he didn't know if his own Human Tribulation had been over. After all, Cain had already killed him once, so could it be understood that fate had already overdrawn upon the Human Tribulation he experienced during the Earth Mother Goddess's inheritance ceremony?

If so, that would be great; if not... then we'll just have to do it again.

"Two days left."

Today is July 29th. In two more days, it will be July 31st, the end of the month.

Shen Jiu didn't wake up. Hongyan, being the progenitor, couldn't become the Human Tribulation. Cain thought he was dead. At Ying Qin Pass, without Shen Jiu, he would be blind.

"Who could it be..."

"Could it be Wang Qiushui? What if she learned her true identity from Cain..."

This possibility is very low. Not many people know Ji Chaoge's identity; only Cain would reveal it. But Wang Qiushui has been missing for so long, why would she suddenly get together with Cain and inexplicably talk about her own identity? Finally, in the worst-case scenario, even if Wang Qiushui finds out, she can fly across the entire map, not just use a cheat to monitor the entire continent in real time. Even if she did find out, without assistance like Shen Jiu, she wouldn't be able to pinpoint the location of her ritual.

"But besides her, it seems there's no one else who can be my 'human tribulation'... What unexpected events will occur in the last two days?"

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Resignation Letter

As July draws to a close, the air is thick with a sticky, sweltering heat. Standing under the sun, your skin will feel a burning sensation within seconds. Summers in Qiyao are always hot, but this year is the worst. Every time I leave an air-conditioned room, it feels like a provocation to the sun.

As Nocturne pushed open the door, a wave of heat hit her in the face, the stark contrast making her feel as if she were in purgatory.

"It's so hot it's unbearable."

Nocturne sighed softly, closed the door, and turned to leave the dormitory.

The royal palace was completely empty at this time, not a single person could be seen. It wasn't that there was no one left in the palace, but rather that everyone was huddled in their rooms.

Nocturne walked along the scorching road, her destination being Jiu Yi's office... It would be a long journey.

When she passed by the red maple forest, she stopped. The red maple forest in the Imperial Academy had been transformed by the alchemy students and was in bloom for nine months of the year, even in the dead of winter... but they were powerless against the summer sun.

"What a pity..."

Nocturne had this thought in her mind. She loved this red maple forest. Many afternoons, she would sit in the pavilion there, drinking tea and spending her long leisure time.

Now we can't see each other anymore... Will we ever see each other again?

Who knows, who can say for sure what tomorrow will be like?

Nocturne lingered for a moment, then quickly departed.

As she passed an open-air martial arts arena, she saw a glimpse of red hair inside... Looking closer, she saw it was Zhong Hongyu.

Practicing martial arts in this weather... that's not unusual. If martial artists don't practice because of bad weather, they might as well go home and play house. But why choose an outdoor location? There are clearly indoor training grounds...

Nocturne looked closely and understood... Zhong Hongyu was practicing a technique, already using her inner energy.

In an indoor training ground, it's not very convenient for students to use their internal energy. Although it's not prohibited, a mistake could easily damage the indoor floor. Therefore, full-power practice is generally conducted in an outdoor training ground.

As Nocturne looked up at the sky, a terrifying heatwave swept over her, and the light refracted unevenly in the air, causing the space itself to appear distorted.

"Even if it's just for practicing the usage, in this kind of weather..."

"Whether it's useful or not, this child is already quite remarkable."

Nocturne remained silent, quietly leaving the open-air martial arts arena. Her sighs were ultimately meaningless. She had seen too many remarkable and hardworking people; she might pause for a moment, but not linger long.

Soon, Nocturne arrived outside Jiu Yi's office.

It's worth mentioning that Jiu Yi rarely comes to his office. The majority of the Imperial Academy's affairs are handled by the Vice Dean, while Jiu Yi is only responsible for decisive strategic policies. These matters require meetings for discussion, so Jiu Yi's office... he probably only visits about ten times a year.

Therefore, generally speaking, very few people come to Jiu Yi's office—he himself isn't even here, so why would anyone come looking for him here?

But today was an exception. Someone, two people, came to Jiu Yi's office almost at the same time... and it was during summer vacation.

The probability of this happening is almost as high as the hand the boss won. Even science fiction writers wouldn't dare to write that from the moment mahjong appeared in this world until the end of the world, this hand might never appear again.

One of the visitors was naturally Nocturne, and the other... was none other than Wu Changying, the head of the Martial Arts Department.

"Teacher Wu," Ye Qu greeted, then, curious about the reason for his visit, asked, "What brings you here?"

“It’s time to retire.” Wu Changying held up the envelope in her hand, which looked like a resignation letter. But in reality, it was not; it was more like a letter requesting retirement.

Wu Changying had actually reached retirement age long ago, but the retirement age for martial artists is different from other professions, so he could continue working. Therefore, he has been serving in the Imperial Household Agency for the past few years, but now he plans to officially retire.

If there are changes in the faculty at the Imperial Academy, the Vice Dean will handle the procedures for the Sociology Department, while other departments will be handled by Jiu Yi. Therefore, this kind of letter also needs to be handled by Jiu Yi. Under normal circumstances, one might actually have to take the letter to the board game arcade or martial arts arena to find Jiu Yi. However, Jiu Yi will definitely come to his office once at the beginning of the semester. So leaving it in his office for now is fine.

Wu Changying is old but vigorous... Although I'd like to say that, martial artists aren't cultivators. Even those who cultivate specific health preservation methods can only live to be over a hundred years old. Even with exceptional talent and extraordinary abilities, they can only live to be two hundred at most. Moreover, eighty of those two hundred years are spent in meditation. Not to mention talent, the requirements for one's mental state are extremely high. To go any further, one would need to be associated with mythical creatures or ancestral alien races to achieve that.

—Incidentally, ancient cultivation methods were imperfect. Forget about prolonging life; simply not shortening one's lifespan was considered good enough. The average lifespan of martial artists was actually less than thirty-five years. However, this age was clearly not solely due to flawed cultivation methods damaging the body; there were many other reasons, including fighting monsters, internal strife, and high-risk professions.

Martial artists are born to fight, and fighting means bloodshed, and bloodshed means death; there's no way around it.

Wu Changying is already eighty years old and can no longer be considered one of the top martial artists. He does not practice any specific health preservation methods. Although he may have another ten or twenty years left, it is clear that Wu Changying intends to keep that time for himself.

“A correct choice.” Nocturne smiled, clearly agreeing that retirement was a good option. At Wu Changying’s age, he should have retired long ago to enjoy life. “The Imperial Academy will miss you, such an outstanding educator.”